Aircraft doors, such as auxiliary power unit doors, are typically installed onto aircraft using numerous rigging components. For example, connecting hardware including actuators, links, extension rods, and the like may be used to couple one end of the door to a fixed location and to allow at least another end of the door to pivot around the fixed location. Additionally, positioning sensors and other switching devices may be included on the aircraft door and around an opening over which the door is to cover, and the sensors and/or switching devices may be employed to indicate positioning of the door relative to the opening.
Although conventional rigging components securely mount the doors to the aircraft, the connecting hardware used for the rigging components and processes for installing the rigging components may be improved. For example, installation and/or repair processes are generally subjected to time constraints. However, because the rigging components may include numerous pieces, the processes may include various steps to ensure appropriate positioning of the door relative to the aircraft. The steps may include precisely aligning and/or calibrating the positioning sensors, precisely aligning and/or calibrating the switching devices, and/or replacing or adjusting the actuators, links, rods or other components, each of which may undesirably increase aircraft downtime. Moreover, as each aircraft model may have a particular design specification, the rigging components for one aircraft model may not be suitable for use with another aircraft model. Hence, obtaining and/or designing the specific rigging components or rigging procedures for each aircraft model may increase maintenance and/or aircraft manufacturing costs.
Accordingly, it is desirable to improve the manner by which a door, or other component to be actuated, is installed in an aircraft. In particular, it would be desirable to have an actuator mounting assembly that has fewer rigging components and that is simpler to install than conventional actuator mounting assemblies. In addition, it is desirable to have an actuator mounting assembly that may be implemented into more than one aircraft model. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the inventive subject matter will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the inventive subject matter and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the inventive subject matter.